The Dead Man
by PunchyMcNutKick
Summary: The Dead Man walked out into view. "What, did you really think that I would give myself up? That I would just walk out onto the stage, ready for the curtain call? No no no, I would like the nickname to stay just that, for the time being anyway." Story about the Dead Man, a new companion. Eventual FShep/OC, Language, Violence.
1. Prologue

Loading program: CodeInvaderV.4.01... Success!  
"Grabbing Files from Agent-1197 : Cerberus-Potential-Addition-Evaluations

]I[

CERBERUS DOSSIER - The Dead Man - Real Name Unknown

[Note: Need to speak with agents in charge of data requisitions, we can't have another Vakarian situation. Real names are important for context, dammit.]

Location: Mars, lower Lowell City.

Criminal boss who runs The Dead Men out of a Bar in the bottom half of the Lowell Superstructure ['Wainwright's', likely owned by his right hand of the same name].

Uses an up-cycled old revolver at range, employs fire tech frequently at no overt cost to his health [Note: How is he not dying of severe burns every time?]. Highly effective.

Is known to use an electrified cane in CQC. [Note: Really? Jesus Christ, this guy is insane.]

Known for employing brutal measures to get information.

Every agent assigned to recruitment is currently MIA, believed dead. Further elimination teams garnered the same results.

Seems to harbor a grudge against the current Lowell Superstructure Chief of Police, Mark Hyde. Hyde is our best insider in Lowell; reason for grudge as yet unknown.

Latest action: Assault on Blue Suns compound on Level 259, upon entrance Dead Man proceeded to stay inside for two hours. In those two hours, The Dead Men seemed to free over 30 slaves and get them off-world through a series of intermediaries. Insider agent designate: Haunter was one of the mercs inside the compound- Likely no correlation with Dead Men actions. Compound has since been leveled through use of high ordnance explosives.

Recommended course of action: The Dead Men's network is one of the best in the Galaxy, second only to the Shadow Broker's. The only thing keeping us from assimilating the network into Cerberus' is the Dead Man himself. Warning: Due to Dead Man's reputation and previous actions, recommend Shepard be sent to eliminate; she's the best we've got.

Saving File to internal server... Done!

Retrieving file 'Dead Men Analysis' from Agent-1197... Success!

]I[

 **'THE DEAD MEN' OBSERVATIONS**  
 **WARNING** \- Organization designated 'The Dead Men' are highly dangerous and extremely hostile to anyone they doesn't know. Recommend observation be carried out with extreme care.  
The Dead Men make for a curious case. The organization gained momentum very quickly once The Dead Man showed up in Lower Lowell one day and Merc gang bosses started disappearing. Interesting note, all Merc companies had dealt with Cerberus in the five year period prior to the... disposal. Mercenary Gangs started placing extremely high bounties on the man, and soon he had built a reputation for sending any bounty hunters back in a box, and all the survivors come back babbling of 'The Dead Man'. Soon after, the more sensible criminals had started to join up with 'The Dead Man', and the organization is now a major force in the lower levels of Lowell, being able to compete with bigger franchises, like Eclipse, the Blue Suns and the Blood Pack. One thing they do not share is lack of morals, apparently. The Dead Men are known for being both brutal to their enemies, and gentle with people who haven't wronged them. Case: The Dead Men have freed over 100 slaves, far more than the LS Police.  
More notable instances of The Dead Mens' 'activities' are their numerous interrogation sessions they use to gain information. Most of their interrogations involve the previously mentioned Cerberus personnel inside the Merc Groups. Past techniques used for interrogation include: Blunt Trauma, threat of being left inside an open airlock, and finally, being left to the Vorcha on the bottom most levels of the Lowell Superstructure.

ANALYSIS SUMMARY:The network would be a great addition to our own, only catch being the Dead Man himself. Recommend assimilation and extermination, respectively.

]I[

Saving File to internal server... Done!

Deactivating CodeInvaderV.4.01... Success!

]I[

Deep in the lower reaches of the Lowell Superstructure, within a small yet popular bar, a shadowy figure laughed darkly.

"So, TIM finally wants to get in on the network, even if it means 'dealing' with me?" The cloaked figure chuckled darkly, startling the messenger who had brought him the report from one of his many Shadows around the Galaxy. He turned to his right hand man. "Well then, we better start laying out the red carpet, eh Wainwright?"  
"Shall I start posting Shadows by the spaceport, sir?" Offered Wainwright, reloading his pistol as he talked.

"Yes, but I want to be notified when the Normandy docks, and when they start heading this way."

"Will you be wanting the transmission software set up as well, sir?" Wainwright said, with a knowing look. Wainwright had known the Dead Man for ten years now, and he knew that the boss never made a move without telling the boys. He also knew that the boss wanted his enemies to know that he didn't give a toss about them, and the best way to do that was over a lightly encrypted channel, like a great big piece of cheese on a mouse trap.

"Oh yes. Now, if you need me I will be over at the bar, speaking to the lads." Said The Dead Man, turning to the exit. "Oh and Wainright?"

"Yes sir?"

"Cut the 'sir' crap," He said chuckling "You might make me feel like an actual Gang boss."


	2. Chapter 1: Lowell Superstructure

**Normandy SR2 - Iera System**

Shepard was tired.

The squad had just returned from Horizon, and Jane Shepard, Lioness of Elysium, Savior of the Citadel, had just encountered the Collectors for the first time. Not only had they been able to get away with over half the population of the colony, but she had also had a... _interesting_ reunion with former crewmember, and **friend** , Ashley Williams. So not only had Shepard been angry with herself for letting a frankly unacceptable amount of civilians get abducted and taken to god knows where, but she was also recovering from one of the harshest conversations he had ever had the misfortune to experience. The fact that the Illusive Man had immediately set them to task with recruiting yet more team members was not helping.

Shepard was so close to the safety of the elevator when she heard the voice of her comrade in arms, Garrus Vakarian.

"Shepard, do you have a minute?" Shepard fixed Garrus with an icy glare that practically screamed 'If this isn't worth my time, I will gouge your eyes out with a rusty spoon'. Oblivious, Garrus took Shepard's silence as approval. "I know TIM's already given us a fresh new batch of dossiers on criminals, assassins and crazy biotic psychos. I was thinking-" Shepard held up a hand.  
"Garrus, I'm not in the mood to look over more targets from your Omega days to shoot right now, fun as it may be." Shepard said in a exasperated tone. She had already heard all about Sidonis and how Garrus had a frankly unhealthy obsession for putting 'That barefaced bastard's head on a pole', as Garrus so eloquently put it, and was already disappointed in him for pursuing the matter further; never mind adding another target to his 'Hit List'.

"No-no-no-no, this isn't a target; it's a recommendation." Garrus explained, piquing Shepard's interest.  
"What do you mean?" Shepard inquired, dead-pan smirk plastered over her face, "What makes the illustrious Archangel interested in a glorified shopping list?"  
"Hey, I'm allowed to do things over than calibrations, okay? Anyway, this isn't a target or dossier, it's a possible resource. Now, I don't trust the Illusive Man at the best of times, but when he offers us the opportunity to get access to a network as big as the Shadow Broker's, I tend to get interested." Garrus replied, glib tone permeating his dual-toned voice.  
"Whoa, hold on there, Shadow Broker scale?" Suspicion laced Shepard's voice, "What's the catch?"  
"Simple, according to the Notes, all we have to do is... _dispose_... of the current owner."  
Shepard's mood, which had steadily climbing since she learnt of the network, fell flat. "Who's the current owner Garrus?" Garrus winced, _she's not going to like this,_ he thought.

]I[

"And that's why we are currently going full speed towards Mars." Shepard sighed. Today just was not her day.  
"So let me get this straight: We are currently going to the Lowell Superstructure on MARS, so you can risk assassinating one of the planets most dangerous crime lords, who we don't even know the location of, just so we can get our hands on some data that might not even be that useful?" Joker said, incredulity filling his voice.  
"Don't forget the part where we dock a Cerberus vessel at an Alliance controlled station. That's gonna be fun." Shepard replied, forced joy injected into her voice.  
"Oh. Yeah, that too." Joker face-palmed, "Let's just hope this Dead Man is planning a suicide mission, let us cut out the middle man."

]I[

 **Lower Lowell - Wainwright's - Mars**

"Sir, you are aware you're planning a suicide mission, correct?" Wainwright offered, concern for his friend betraying his voice.  
"Never tell me the odds, pal. I'm taking this bastard down if it's the last thing I do on this god-forsaken City-Station. He's been getting away with this shit for far too long, and if it's gonna take me setting him on fire to get the point across, then I'll shed a tear for his wife." The Dead Man stated matter-of-factly, no hint of emotion other than hatred in his voice. As he spoke, he placed a odd looking device on the table in front of him. To anyone outside of the organization, it just looked like a collection of miscellaneous tech attached to a long strap. To The Dead Men, it was a life-saver. The innocuous looking device was called a Sky-Belt, an example of The Dead Men adapting to life in the verticality of Lowell, allowing the user to run across the many walls that hung over the divide between Lower and Upper Lowell in order to stay out of sight of the Lowell Police Department. They were used primarily by The Dead Men's intelligence wing, leading to the nickname 'Shadow's Friend' after the users.

"Well, sir of course I agree with this action, it's your plan that I disagree with. An operation in Upper Lowell is a bad idea for a squad of our most experienced Shadows, for just you, no matter how good you are, it's suicide." Wainwright countered, desperately trying to convince his best friend out of this fool-hardy act.  
"Ah, but it won't just be me, will it?"  
"I'm afraid I don't understand, sir."

The Dead Man's voice came echoing from the dark, a playful undertone. An undertone that Wainwright knew far too well, an undertone that meant his plan was already in motion.  
"Wainwright, please play the recording I prepared earlier."

]I[

Lowell Superstructure was a strangely beautiful place, Shepard had concluded. Both Lower and Upper Lowell had a charm to them, a certain aura about them. Upper Lowell was a classically beautiful city, much like the Citadel, or the cities on Earth that towered high into the skies, each building a monolithic testament to the builder's skill, radiant with shades of whites, oranges and blues. Upper Lowell had a spectacular feature, in that the buildings were so high up that a layer of fog had settled near the middles, making the buildings seemingly rise out of the clouds. But, Shepard thought it seemed, detached almost, from everything human, turian, asari, or anything to give it a sense of personality.

Lower Lowell had a far different facade, with almost all the personality of the entire Superstructure seemingly condensed into one section of the City, with graffiti of all kinds covering the rust colored walls of the squat buildings that covered the structure like a layer of dust. One repeating graffiti tag was a skull, one half fading into a fire, all surrounded by a diamond.

The symbol of the Dead Men.

Seeing the symbol placed everywhere was sobering to Shepard. The scope of what she was doing finally set in. Sure, she had killed a reaper, been brought back to life and almost saved an entire colony, but this was much more personal. She was going to kill a person she had never met once in her life, just so she could get a damn network. The realization hit her like a brick. She was essentially being an Assassin, and for Cerberus no less. Sure the target was a criminal, but they were a criminal that she had no personal grudge against. Hell, the team had even come across some Dead Men, and they were damn-well courteous to them, even giving them goddamned directions to the nearest rapid-transit station. Sure, even the most horrendous company could have some good people in it, but the thought still made Shepard sick.

Garrus' voice broke Shepard out of her trance, bringing her back to the inside of the cab.  
"Shepard, we've got a transmission coming from the Normandy."  
"Put it through Garrus." Garrus tapped a few buttons on the dashboard, and the holo-emitter lit up, showing a video of a man dressed up in a long black coat, wearing an armor suit beneath it, with the exception of the helmet and the gloves, both of which were replaced with a black skull and skeletal hands, respectively. The eyes of the skull glowed green ominously.  
"Y'know, somehow I think this isn't Normandy calling us." Said Zaeed, curiosity etched on his face.

The mysterious figure started to speak. "Sorry for the deception, Shepard, but I feared this was the only way to make you listen. I know you're working for Cerberus, and I also know that they've want my network. Sadly, both of us know the only way TIM is getting my network is over my dead body. So, no use playing Cat and Mouse, so here's where I am. Come and get me. By the way, you're not the only reason I'm going there. This is The Dead Man, signing off."

The figure was replaced by a map going towards the Lowell Theater house.

"Garrus, change course. I want to have a chat with a dead man.".

]I[

 _ **Boom! First REAL chapter done! Please tell me what you think of the Dead Man and Lowell as a backdrop. I would love to hear any and all feedback, because I genuinely want to get better at this.**_

 _ **PunchyMcNutkick, OUT!**_


	3. Chapter 2: The Meeting

**Lower Lowell - The Lowell Theater House - Mars**

The Lowell Theater House was playing host to an icon of human culture, Shakespeare's plays. While they mostly popular with humans, it was the Asari that ate the Bard's plays up that thrust the normally low-key production onto the forefront of entertainment for Lowell's upper classes. The theater itself was affluent, even for the whites stainless monoliths of Upper Lowell. Lights of every color streaked up the ivory walls that ebbed and flowed in and around a honeycomb structure that topped the building,as though the structure itself was alive. It had to look as expensive as it did, or no self respecting Upper Lowellian would ever visit the cultural hub that dwelt within.

It was all of these factors that had drawn Arthur Ward, deputy chief of the Lowell Police Department and head of 'The Wall' that separated the throng of Lower Lowell and the upper classes, to the Theater House this night. The event was a celebration of the culture that made up but a small section of the rich tapestry of Humanity's history, and as a high-ranking official in the LPD, Ward had to make sure none of the rabble that made up the festering streets below had anything close to the smallest opportunity to disrupt such an event. Ward personally saw the wall as necessary for Lowell to survive as a component of the Alliance. If it meant killing a few people that tried to make their way to the upper reaches, then so be it.

]I[

As the skycar gently landed on the sidewalk in front of the Theater House, Shepard was thinking over what possible reason The Dead Man could have for the sudden meeting at such a place. If they just wanted to talk things over, then they could've just hashed things out somewhere less conspicuous. Hell, they could have even done it over vid-call, but _no_ , The Dead Man had other plans. Out of sheer curiosity (and not wanting to be caught with her pants down) she had Garrus look over the files Cerberus had on The Dead Man. She was surprised by how little they actually had, all of it seeming to be after his appearance in Lowell a little over ten years ago, and before that it seemed he didn't exist. They had a lot more intel on the Dead Men, his organization, like how they seemed to have morals. Shepard remembered Zaeed snickering at that, saying that there was no such thing as a merc group with morals, but all Shepard had seen of the Dead Men had proven him wrong. Now that doesn't mean that the Dead Man himself was a beacon of moral fortitude either.

Shepard stepped out of the skycar and entered the Theater House with Zaeed and Garrus at her backs. She wasn't stupid, she expected the worst. What she hadn't expected was tickets to MacBeth, paid for by one 'Mr Smith'. Seemed that The Dead Man had invited her to a night of culture, in one of the boxes near the stage, no less!

Shepard wondered how the night would manage to get FUBAR this time.

]I[

They were all sat in their seats, with Shepard and Zaeed bored out of their minds and Garrus wondering why all of the characters were such assholes. The play had barely even started when Shepard had noticed something interesting. The box opposite them bore the symbol of the LPD, and in it sat a man wearing the uniform of a Deputy Chief. She had also noticed the fuse box behind the man and his partner was wide open.

That was when the power went out.

Lights across the stage and room went out simultaneously, bathing the world in darkness, only the surprised screams punctuated the stillness left by the absence of light. Shepard heard a crash, and the emergency siren blared through the night. Garrus tried to open the door out of the box, but found it locked. In other words, they were trapped in a pitch black room.

In minutes the lights came back on, and Shepard expected to see a throng of people on the way out, and an empty stage. Instead, the audience was empty, and the stage played the backdrop for two people: a man in a deputy chief uniform on his knees facing Shepard, and a familiar skull faced man in a long black coat, holding an old revolver to the man's head. The man in uniform looked scared, while the dark figure's feelings were obstructed by the mask.

"Dead Man." Shepard stated, a layer of calm covering her face.  
"Shepard! So glad you could make it. I was beginning to think you found the play boring." The Dead Man said, like his voice had a smirk.  
"Let him go, or I'll make your alias more true to reality."  
The Dead Man spoke, all traces of joking gone. "No. I will not."  
"Why? What could possibly be worth killing an innocent man over?"  
The Dead Man scoffed, "Innocent? Shepard, do you know who this man is? This human waste is called Arthur Ward, deputy chief of Police and head of 'The Wall'. You've seen Lower Lowell, Shepard? These people are why the reason why people down there suffocate in toxic gas, burn in the gutters, and _die_ trying to make their way to Upper Lowell! They are the reason why the people would rather go to goddamn _MERC GROUPS_ than the fucking police!" Shepard was taken aback by the conviction in his voice, but tried reasoning with him anyway.  
"That's not a reason to shoot him!" She shouted desperately. Tension hung in the air like a curtain, before he finally spoke.

"You're right" The Dead Man lowered his pistol, and Shepard breathed a sigh of relief, happy that the situation had been defused.

At least until his hands glowed.

"He deserves to **burn**." Before Shepard could intervene, spouts of fire leaped from his hands to Ward's face, body and the space around him. Screams of pain filled the room, and Shepard could only watch as The Dead Man walked down the aisle, not looking back to the man he had just consigned to death.

]I[

 ** _Yeesh, that was a heavy chapter to write. Shepard finally meets The Dead Man, only to be horrified by what she sees._**

 _ **PunchyMcNutkick, OUT!**_


	4. Chapter 3: Fleeing the Scene

**Lower Lowell - The Lowell Theater House - Mars**

Shepard's jaw was agape. She had just watched the Dead Man set fire to a man, and leave the room with him burning to death, the screams echoing all around the theater. Not even a cursory glance came back from the cloaked figure's burning eyes from behind his mask, no sign of even a _hint_ of remorse detectable. She span around only to find Garrus and even Zaeed stunned by the display, both with a distant gaze that when traced settled on Ward's still burning body; the Dead Man had just given the entire group of hardened veterans, vigilantes and mercenaries pause for thought.

It didn't last long however. It only took Shepard a moment to snap herself out of it and even less time to throw herself over the balcony, using her biotics to soften her fall. She turned back to her companions. "Contact the Normandy, we need a pickup, _**now!**_ I'll handle the Dead Man."

Garrus nodded and started to help Zaeed break down the door, leaving Shepard racing down the aisle, desperately trying to catch up to her target. Even though Cerberus had rebuilt her with enough cybernetics to make a mech jealous, there was no equal for a head start. Thankfully, the Dead Man had been so kind as to leave her a nice trail of steps in the form of burning footprints that had spread to the walls. _Seems like he needed to let off some steam_ , she thought, wondering much Ward could've done to deserve assassination in such a brutal form. As she exited the theater proper, Shepard could hear the sirens of the LPD chorusing around her. They obviously knew that the Dead Man was in the area, so a response wasn't surprising.  
What was surprising was the presence of a Gunship.  
It was a standard police issue ship, with a machine gun and dual mounted rocket pods, all encompassed in the iconic mantis-shaped chassis. It was racing east, towards the main elevator to the Shipyards, when Garrus and Zaeed caught up with her.

"Normandy is sending us an extraction, but it'll take a while" Reported Garrus, whilst Zaeed just groaned.  
"Well then, tell Joker to get his thumb out of his ass and get it here now!" Shepard smiled. She and Zaeed had gotten off to a rough start, with his abrasive personality clashing with her idealistic views. But his stories and quick, cutting jokes had endeared himself to her.  
"Tell you what, while we wait for an extraction, why don't we go wherever that Gunship has just shot off to?" As if to punctuate her question, gunfire sounded across the platform. Zaeed smiled.  
"Y'know what, that sounds like a good plan."

]I[

The Dead Man was, well, for want of a better word, _screwed._

The mission had started off well enough, he had managed to get across The Wall easily enough. One person was easy, it was getting everyone in a squad across that god-forsaken battleground that was the hard thing to do. He dodged between Wall Personnel like they were lasers in an old spy vid, and had made it to the theater easily. Hell, he even had time to set up a dramatic meeting between him and Shepard.

Shepard. He hadn't counted on her, funnily enough. Yes, he had planned on her arrival, but not her effect on him. He was going to kill Ward no matter what, but Shepard's... _obliviousness_ to the people's struggles below in Lower Lowell had pushed him over the edge.  
Pushed him back to being **that version of himself.**  
He didn't want to burn Ward alive, he really didn't. But Shepard's in-credulousness had gotten him angry, and he felt like he needed to. He needed to burn out the cause of all the pain and suffering. To extinguish the evil, with fire.

That was the moment that royally cocked up the entire operation. After that, he accidentally set fire to the Lowell Theater House. _Gotta fix the fiery footsteps problem, cool at first, now just annoying._ That had gotten the LPD here quite quick, and he had to make haste eastwards, to the main elevator to the Shipyards. Not the brightest idea, but that was where his ride was.

Bringing it roundly to his current situation, pinned down by a Gunship in a clusterfu- target rich environment. He could see his ride, and Wainwright sat in the passenger seat in full armor, Dead Men logo sprayed on the left shoulder pad. The Dead Man sprayed a few shots from his up-cycled revolver ineffectually, (It's not old, just more experienced, he had said to Wainwright when he bought it off a Quarian scrap salvager), the revolver's heat sink ejecting out, hissing like an airlock.

Again, he was screwed. He needed a distraction.

]I[

Shepard stepped onto the elevator, selecting Shipyards and leaning on one of the few hand rails. She needed to get down there and catch up to the Dead Man, _now_.

"Shepard," Called Garrus, omnitool flashing, "I've patched us into LPD comms chatter, seems like somethings going down in sector three."  
"Nice, patch me in." As soon as she uttered the order, she was bombarded with chatter from what seemed like LPD officers.

"Get down!" She heard one squad leader shout before a series of six powerful sounding shots sounded across the comms, "We need that Gunship firing on his position now!"  
"Sir, I think I got him!" Shouted an officer excitedly, and soon after all sounds of gunfire stopped.  
"Well, bring him over here then. We can finally kill him for good. Been wanting to see what's under that mask for a long time."

"Shit, we need him alive goddamn it!" Shepard shouted, startling everyone around her. "Garrus, can you make this thing go any faster?"

]I[

The Dead Man was in the middle of reloading his revolver when a blinding pain shot through his shoulder. When he turned to evaluate the damage, he was met with the grim sight of gaping hole clean through the bone. _Then again, it's hard to hit anything else._ He didn't have a chance to get into a safer position before he was blown backwards by a concussive shot.

The ear-splitting shriek of the shot rang in his skull, and the pain from his wounds finally started making him pass out, but not before he saw a group of people approach him with weapons out, and a pistol trained on his head.

]I[

Shepard and co. rounded the corner to see a group of three LPD officers huddled around what seemed to be a dead body. Before she could try to open a dialogue, one of the officer's shot at the team, causing them to take them all out within the space of a couple of moments. Shepard couldn't help but feel guilty. _But of what the Dead Man said was true, then they are all guilty._ It was a small consolation, but a consolation none the less.

As Shepard ruminated over her moral dilemma, Garrus and Zaeed inspected the dead body. A cursory glance at the scene confirmed their suspicions; the body was indeed the Dead Man's. Zaeed spoke up.

"Y'know, I thought he'd be tougher, not get taken down by a couple of goons and a gunship." He said, smirking. Garrus knew he wasn't only observing the situation, he was also poking fun at Garrus' own misfortune at the hands of a gunship. The unpleasant memory made him subconsciously itch at the scar running down his face.  
They were both at ease when Shepard came to inspect the area.  
"Seems like our Dead Man's alias became fact after all," Said Shepard sadly. She may have hated his methods, but she couldn't help wanting to know more about the man who managed to whip lower Lowell into a near religious frenzy. "Bag up his body, no use leaving him to the rats and scavengers."

Just as Shepard was about to walk away, Garrus shouted some... _colorful language_ in a shocked tone.  
"Spirits! Did you see that?"  
"See what? Spit it out birdface." Zaeed said, wanting to leave quickly.  
"I swear it just moved!"  
Before Zaeed or Shepard could start mocking Garrus for being chicken, they both stood ramrod straight as they saw the body push itself into an upright position and say:

"If it's not too much bother, I'd like to go to a doctor now please." The voice was ragged, and most surprisingly, it didn't come out in filtered tones. Instead, Shepard could hear a bit of an English accent and an undertone of dread. The voice brought her back to Akuze, and the last person she heard before they got killed by the Thresher Maw: Doctor Adam Kane. The memory brought her back to her days as Corporal Shepard, lost and alone after losing her entire squad to a Thresher Maw attack. She also lost her partner, Adam Kane, who was serving as her combat medic and engineer that day.

It didn't take long for Commander Shepard to come back to the fore of her mind, and she quickly ordered an extraction and a med team to her location. She didn't care that they would be running the bull a red cloth with a Cerberus Shuttle in Upper Lowell. She couldn't lose another one again, goddamnit.

]I[

 _ **So, this marks the start of the relationship between the Dead Man and Shepard, but what will the rest of the crew think about him? And why does he hide his face under that skeletal mask? Follow and review, and until next time, this is PunchyMcNutKick, OUT!**_


	5. Chapter 4: Flashbacks and X-Rays

**Akuze - 6 Years prior to the Battle of the Citadel**

Corporal Shepard looked down the main road of Akuze, any signs of life evading her. They had been here all day searching for clues: datapads, recordings, bullet holes, anything that could tell them where in the world an entire colony could be. Her entire marine unit, 50 people for crying out loud, had been pacing up and down silent roads, investigating building after building, and ultimately the entire colony, every by-way and alley was completely and totally silent for all except the sound of their boots trudging through. There were no bullet holes, scorches, track marks or anything else to suggest a struggle. Every marine on the ground was feeling the same ever present feeling of melancholy and unease. It was their first operation that wasn't just point and shoot, so everyone was feeling jumpy as all hell. Shepard jumped when her omni-tool's comms flared up, the orange glow catching her off-guard.  
"Shepard, this is base, get your ass back to camp, we're calling off the search until tomorrow. It's too dark to be of any use anymore."  
"Copy that, Shepard out." She hadn't noticed the skies darkening in her thinking, shocked at the beauty of her surroundings. She grew up in New York, and the light pollution of that sprawling metropolis hadn't let her and the rest of the city gaze up at the stars too often. The ever present threat of growing up on the streets didn't help either, but that part of her life was past her. Either way, the way she could look up and see the stars pierce through the clouds was beautiful.

When she got back to camp, she reported back to her commanding officer. After that, she had been told to report to the designated Medical Officer due to a leg injury (she fell down a flight of stairs after being mid-trip in what her squad was already referring to as 'The Shepard Shuffle'). She didn't mind though, she was going there anyway to see her boyfriend, Doctor Adam Kane. _That British bastard is never going to let me live this down, I know it,_ she thought.

]I[

The man was laughing his arse off as he stitched up the small gash on Shepard's leg, being careful to not miss his intended target.

"The Shepard Shuffle!" Said Adam, twirling his legs around his chair and wiping a tear from his eye. Shepard mock-scowled.  
"It wasn't that funny," Shepard tried to convince him, unable to conceal a laugh of her own, "I could have been seriously hurt! That flight of stairs was a doozy, y'know?"  
"Yet here you are, talking to me while trying not to pull your own stitches laughing at it."  
"Well... how could I be mad at that face?" Shepard rose from her bed and tried to steal a kiss.  
"No, not now, medical stuff first. Anyway, guess what?"  
"What?" Shepard said, looking genuinely peeved at Adam's sudden movement.  
"We need to stop off at Arcturus for supplies, so we might be getting some shore leave soon." Upon hearing this, Shepard leapt up, much to Adam's displeasure, and pumped her fist in celebration. Adam couldn't help but smile. They both talked for a while, about what they should do on leave, Adam noting that there was little to do on Arcturus except eat, sleep, shoot or some combination of the three. They kept this up until Adam was asked to come and help another soldier, and they parted ways, each going to bed on opposite ends of the camp; Shepard with her fellow ground-pounders, and Doctor Adam Kane with the officers.

]I[

Shepard awoke to the blaring alarm cutting across the camp, and the sound of shifting earth. She bolted out of her bed and joined her squad at the armor lockers. "What the hell is going on?" She asked, other troops in the room sharing her looks of confusion.  
"No clue, but whatever it is, we're gonna shoot it til it stops." Replied Toombs, bravado lacing his voice.  
They all got suited and booted in record time ( _pressure has a way of doing that,_ Shepard thought), and exited the barracks in uniform fashion.

Nothing could've prepared them for what they saw. A giant worm was carving up the camp like it was paper, wrenching trucks off the ground and melting anything it couldn't grab before tunneling back into the scorched earth. Shepard stood frozen, only being broken out of it by her CO, barking out orders to her and her squad. She gripped her assault rifle harder, and ran alongside her squad to the center of the camp. The beast, named a Thresher Maw, she was told by one of the more experienced members of her squad, was ripping the place apart in a frenzy of destruction. They peppered it with ineffectual rounds after rounds, occasionally firing a grenade at the beast's segmented hide. Nothing worked.

After a while, the officers declared the fight useless and started to evacuate. The squad was no longer fighting to bring down the Maw, but to give everyone else a chance of getting away. The fight had moved to the medical area, where some doctors were still trying to help the wounded from missing limbs or acid burns. Shepard hoped to God that Adam had already got on the first shuttle out of there, but she knew he'd still be in the medical tent. It was down to her and Toombs, and there was only one more shuttle to evacuate in. Shepard wove in and out of cover, dodging acid and tendrils smashing next to her, firing occasional rounds at the beast. She heard a cry of pain, and she turned to see Toombs on the ground, acid covering his torso and eating away at his armor, a look of terror etched on his face. She knew Toombs was done for, so she had to focus on getting Adam, his patients and herself off this godforsaken world. She turned around and started crossing the camp to get to the medical tent, when she heard the noise of shifting earth, a noise that was now etched into her mind. She hoped that marked the end, that it had left, deeming the remaining survivors not worth the effort.

Shepard's hopes were dashed and her heart was crushed when she arrived at the medical tent to see it in tatters, two corpses in pieces strewn about the area, a large hole in the center, damning evidence that whoever were within the tent were done for. It took her seconds to find Adam's body, and even less time for her to break down and just kneel over it, silently sobbing while the camp burned.

]I[

 **Normandy SR2 - Sol System - Lowell Spacedocks**

Shepard broke out of her daze with a start. She hated thinking of that dark time. She thought she had moved past it, and she had, but recently, with everyone on the crew thinking about what unfinished business they had, the memories had come back with a vengeance. Seeing the Dead Man placed on the medical table, Doctor Chakwas going over them with the finest and most accurate of movements, hadn't helped. For some reason, she felt very strongly about him pulling through. She was still lost in thought when the Dr. Chakwas called her over.  
"What can I do for you doc?" Shepard said, genuinely wanting to help.  
"Well, you can pinch me, for a start." Replied Chakwas, an acerbic edge to her voice.  
"What's wrong? Is he okay?"  
"Well, I'm just not sure, does this look okay to you?" She handed a data pad over to Shepard, showing the X-ray of anyone on the table. It showed the skeleton of the Dead Man.  
"Oh my god, he has a skeleton. Hold the presses, this is unheard of!" Shepard exclaimed, mock-enthusiasm filling her words.  
"No, that's not the disturbing part," Chakwas said, no playfulness in her voice. _That's odd,_ Shepard thought, _Chakwas normally plays along with my witticisms._ "The lack of anything but a skeleton is the bit I'm perplexed by." Shepard was shocked, doing a double take between the X-ray and the body lying on the table. Before Chakwas could intervene, Shepard tore off The Dead Man's chest piece to expose a gray colored rib-cage, with lights lining the central pillar of bone, and various mechanical parts placed inside the chest cavity. Shepard and Chakwas gasped when they saw a small mass effect core in the place of the heart. What was most surprising was that it seemed to be a smaller version of the Tantalus Drive Core MkII, currently used in the very ship they were on, and one of the closest secrets that Cerberus held to their chest.

Shepard, taking advantage of Chakwas' relatively stunned state, took a gamble and gave the core a small jolt of electricity. Chakwas quickly turned to the Commander with a look of horrified surprise. She launched into a veritable tirade of complaints. "What the bloody hell do you think you are doing? This could be very delicate machinery, and you just shocked it with your omni-tool! I could've gotten Daniels, or even Donnelly up here, but _nooo_! Shepard just had to zap it to see what happens! Christ!" Shepard couldn't help but laugh, angering the doctor even more.  
Neither of them saw The Dead Man get up.

"Excuse me, but could I ask who undressed me?" He said pointing towards his torso, that same British voice asking, less of an indignant demand, but amused curiosity. His chest was lit up, with his mass effect core pulsing with Element Zero. Chakwas and Shepard span around to see him grabbing a shirt out of the bag on his armor and buttoning it up, looking non-plussed about the whole affair whilst the two women had differing reactions. Chakwas was looking tired and shocked at the same time somehow, and then paced out of the room muttering something about how now she had seen everything. Shepard on the other hand had the biggest grin on her face, seeing the Dead Man up and walking.  
"That would be me. Mind if we had a chat, Dead Man?" She said, offering a chair.  
"Of course, Commander. By the way, you wouldn't have a spare pair of trousers, anywhere would you?" Shepard laughed and grabbed a spare pair of uniform trousers out of a nearby cabinet. Simultaneously, both had the same thought.

 _This should be interesting._

]I[

 ** _So, we get a bit of backstory for Shepard, and the Dead Man is revealed! Leave any feedback you may have with a review and be sure to follow to be notified of any new developments, but until next time..._**

 _ **PunchyMcNutkick, OUT!**_


End file.
